Mind Sports South Africa's (MSSA) blog on competitive gaming in South Africa from proto-computer gaming all the way through to the most modern. For more about MSSA go to: https://www.facebook.com/mindsportssa/
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Saturday, 26 December 2015

Several years ago while in Cape Town on business, I had the good fortune to stay in the Cullinan Hotel in Cape Town at the same time as that well known South African rugby team, the Blue Bulls.

Having finished my meetings quite late at night, I dragged myself off to bed, just as a raucous and celebratory Blue Bulls team arrived from having played and won.

Too tired to care, I fell asleep, only to be woken in the very early hours by a still celebrating team.

Wishing to get some sleep (as I still had business to conduct the next day), I opened my door and shouted at the team to be quiet.

Immediately there was silence, I was content, went back to sleep, and thought nothing of it.

Once Sol had risen, I descended to have breakfast, and was joined by my two colleagues.

While eating our breakfasts, and discussing our plan of action for the day, the entire Blue Bulls team descended on us in single file with the manager at the head.

The Manager politely requested that he be allowed to interrupt, on on being given permission, proceeded to apologise for the teams behaviour.

Of course, we all accepted the apology, but the Manager was not satisfied until each team member apologised.

The three of us were amazed!

Even though this was one of the finest professional provincial rugby teams in South Africa the team would still show exemplary discipline and be humble when called upon to do so.

Now, in all my years that I have been involved with draughts, checkers, esports and wargames, I have not yet found a so-called 'professional' that would act with a tenth of the discipline as exhibited by the Blue Bulls team.

Mind sports players who consider themselves to be professionals act with unbridled arrogance.

Whereas the best rugby players will accept the authority of National and Provincial bodies (and those that represent such bodies), the so-called professional eSports players, in South Africa, continue to put themselves at odds with such, and then wonder why they are not included in national teams.

Every eSports player in South Africa by now should be aware that the only way into an official South African national team is through official MSSA championships.

Energy Gaming (eN) and Bravado (Bvd) realised the above in 2013. Thus in 2013 the DotA 2 team was made up by both teams to give SA its strongest ever DotA 2 team.

2016 is pregnant with possibilities.

MSSA will be selecting a whole host of teams to represent South Africa.

Thursday, 24 December 2015

Looking back at MSSA's involvement in eSports, it has beginning to become far clearer that MSSA leads and all other gaming bodies follow.

Even going back to 2005 when MSSA started its online gaming league, it was others that copied the MSSA league and then called it its own.

Consequently after 2009 MSSA ceased running its on-line league as the recreational purposes of the league were being taken care of, and MSSA was able to concentrate on its core business of getting Protea Teams ready for international competition.
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Part of getting teams ready was the programme of bringing top players out to South Africa.

In 2008, MSSA brought out SK Gaming to help get South African players to understand what is required in international competition.